HMS ''Cairo'' (D87) was a C-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy, named after the Egyptian capital, Cairo. So far she has been the only ship of the Royal Navy to bear the name. She was part of the ''Carlisle'' group of the C-class of cruisers.

History

left, Gun position on HMS ''Cairo'', smoke above Narvik in the back on 8 June 1940. She was laid down by

Cammell Laird Cammell Laird is a British shipbuilding company. It was formed from the merger of Laird Brothers of Birkenhead and Johnson Cammell & Co of Sheffield at the turn of the twentieth century. The company also built railway rolling stock until 1929, ...

at Birkenhead on 28 November 1917, launched on 19 November 1918 and commissioned on 24 September 1919. ''Cairo'' was not ready for service in World War I and her first posting was to the China Station in 1920, followed by the East Indies Station from 1921 to 1925. On 23 April 1926 HMS Cairo visited Kismayu, Italian Somaliland, during the

Jubaland Jubaland ( so, Jubbaland, ar, , it, Oltregiuba), the Juba Valley ( so, Dooxada Jubba) or Azania ( so, Asaaniya, ar, ), is a Federal Member State in southern Somalia. Its eastern border lies east of the Jubba River, stretching from Gedo t ...

Boundary Commission. After a further temporary attachment to the China Station until 1927, she joined the

8th Cruiser Squadron The 8th Cruiser Squadron was a temporary formation of cruisers of the British Royal Navy from 1912 to 1914. and again from 1924/25 to 1942. The Royal Navy's cruiser squadrons contained a maximum of five to six ships but down as low as two to th ...

on the North America and West Indies Station, based at the

Royal Naval Dockyard Royal Navy Dockyards (more usually termed Royal Dockyards) were state-owned harbour facilities where ships of the Royal Navy were built, based, repaired and refitted. Until the mid-19th century the Royal Dockyards were the largest industrial c ...

Ireland Island Ireland Island is the north-westernmost island in the chain which comprises Bermuda. It forms a long finger of land pointing northeastwards from the main island, the last link in a chain which also includes Boaz Island and Somerset Island. It ...

, Bermuda. From 1928 to 1930, ''Cairo'' was in the Mediterranean as flagship for the Rear-Admiral (D). After a refit from 1931–1932, she was with the

Home Fleet The Home Fleet was a fleet of the Royal Navy that operated from the United Kingdom's territorial waters from 1902 with intervals until 1967. In 1967, it was merged with the Mediterranean Fleet creating the new Western Fleet. Before the First ...

as Commodore (D). She was converted to an

anti-aircraft Anti-aircraft warfare, counter-air or air defence forces is the battlespace response to aerial warfare, defined by NATO as "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It includes surface based, ...

cruiser in 1939. In World War II she took part in the Norwegian Campaign, where she was damaged by German aircraft off Narvik on 28 May 1940. 10 sailors were killed and the ship was out of action for two months. In the Mediterranean she led the escort of a six cargo-ship convoy from

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

to Malta, code named Operation Harpoon, which endured intense air strikes. The British squadron also faced the attack of an Italian light cruiser division in the

Sicilia channel Sicily ( it, Sicilia , ) is the list of islands in the Mediterranean, largest island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the 20 regions of Italy, regions of Italy. The Strait of Messina divides it from the region of Calabria in Southern Italy. I ...

. Four merchantmen and two destroyers were sunk, while ''Cairo'' was hit by two 6-inch rounds from the Italian cruiser ''Eugenio di Savoia'', killing two members of her crew. In August 1942, ''Cairo'' took part in

Operation Pedestal Operation Pedestal ( it, Battaglia di Mezzo Agosto, Battle of mid-August), known in Malta as (), was a British operation to carry supplies to the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. Malta was a base from which British ...

, the escort of a convoy to Malta. During the operation she was torpedoed and sunk by the Italian submarine ''Axum'' north of Bizerta, Tunisia, on 12 August 1942. One torpedo blew off part of the stern, the port propellor was gone, the engine room flooded and gun mount Y fell off in the sea. As during the battle it was impossible to tow her to safety, it was decided to scuttle her. The destroyer

HMS Pathfinder Two ships of the Royal Navy have borne the name HMS ''Pathfinder''. * , launched in 1904, was a light cruiser, the lead ship of her class. She was sunk at the start of World War I by , becoming the first ship to ever be sunk by a torpedo fired by ...

fired 4 torpedoes but only 1 hit. A series of depth charges did not finish her off, so finally HMS Derwent was ordered to sink her with gunfire. Twenty-four seamen went down with the ship.

Notes

References

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External links

IWM Interview with survivor Clifford Richardson
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cairo (D87) C-class cruisers Ships built on the River Mersey 1918 ships World War I cruisers of the United Kingdom World War II cruisers of the United Kingdom Ships sunk by Italian submarines World War II shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea Maritime incidents in August 1942